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Federer Joins Nishikori, Raonic, Dimitrov into Brisbane Semifinals

brisbaneinternational.com.au: January 9 2015 Brisbane, Australia – Bernard Tomic has received a
sobering reality check ahead of the Australian Open, thrashed by second seed Kei Nishikori at the Brisbane International. Tomic hardly troubled Japan’s world No.5, who stormed to a 6-0 6-4
quarterfinal victory in just 58 minutes. The US Open finalist set up a semifinal showdown with Tomic’s Brisbane doubles partner, Canadian third seed Milos Raonic, who earlier held out big-serving
Australian Sam Groth 7-6 (5) 3-6 7-6 (2).

Nishikori thrashed 15 winners to Tomic’s six as the Australian made six unforced errors in a whirlwind first set that lasted just 21 minutes. Tomic tried to regroup in the second, but Nishikori
broke in the 10th game before serving out the match.

It is a setback for Tomic, who had built momentum returning from hip surgery last year, claiming a second career title in Bogota and a Stockholm semifinal berth. Nishikori finished 2014 in the top
10 for the first time after a breakthrough year which featured his US Open final appearance.

Having used a get-out-of-jail card in his first match of the 2015 season, saving two match points against Jeremy Chardy,fourth sees Grigor Dimitrov has moved safely through to the semifinals of
the Brisbane International after a convincing 6-3 6-4 result over Martin Klizan. The Bulgarian looked rusty in his clash with Frenchman Chardy but was sharp from the outset against his Slovak
opponent in the quarterfinals.

Roger Federer booked his place in the final four and will take on Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp on Saturday, as he edges closer to becoming
the third player in the Open Era (since 1968) to record 1,000 career match wins.

Twenty four hours after battling back to beat John Millman, Federer calmly defeated another Australian wild card, James Duckworth, 6-0, 6-1 in 41 minutes. Federer lost just six points in the
16-minute opener and he had won eight straight games before Duckworth held serve to 15 for 1-2 in the second set. He won 25 of his 30 service points overall.

Sharapova is in ominous form ahead of the Australian Open, dropping just five games in her two matches to date. World No.17 Suarez Navarro did not hold a service game in the opening set as
Sharapova went on to belt a total of 32 winners. The Russian is yet to have a tough test ahead of the year’s first grand slam – not that she is complaining.

World No.28 Svitolina will look to put the brakes on Sharapova’s stellar Brisbane streak judging by her comeback against world No.9 Kerber. Down a set and a double break, trailing 3-0 in the
second, Svitolina launched a remarkable turnaround, claiming the quarter-final 4-6 7-5 6-3 in just over two hours.

Former Wimbledon and US Open semi-finalist Kerber committed 42 unforced errors in a major worry ahead of the Australian Open. American Varvara Lepchenko booked a potential semifinal showdown with
former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic by ending the giantkilling run of Russian lucky loser Alla Kudryavtseva 7-5 7-5.

Former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic remains on track for a Brisbane International final showdown with top seed Maria Sharapova despite withdrawing from a scheduled doubles match with an abdominal
strain.

The world No.7 overcame a slow start on Pat Rafter Arena on Thursday night to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-3 win over 2012 Brisbane champion Kaia Kanepi. Ivanovic will play Sam Stosur’s first-round conqueror
Varvara Lepchenko in Friday’s semifinals, with a potential final against five-time grand slam champion Sharapova a real possibility.

The second seed finished strongly after a horrendous opening to the match against world No.52 Kanepi. The Estonian was quick out of the blocks, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening set. Ivanovic
called for coach Dejan Petrovic for a courtside chat, with the pair sharing a brief but animated discussion.

Whatever Petrovic said to his charge appeared to do the trick as the 2008 French Open winner peeled off the next four games to come within one of levelling the set. Kanepi’s nerves were evident as
she blew three set points before an overrule by the chair umpire on a shot called long enabled her to seal the opening set.

Neither player took control in the second, which featured seven breaks of serve in just 10 games. The pair swapped breaks before a double fault by Kanepi in the 10th game handed the set to the
Serbian. Ivanovic found her service rhythm in the decider, quickly claiming another break in the fourth game of the third set to take an advantage she wouldn’t relinquish. The 27-year-old, who took
two hours to defeat Kanepi, will be back on court on Friday afternoon against Lepchenko, before Sharapova takes on Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the other semifinal.